Sometimes I struggle to pay $30 for a lipgloss or an eye liner. All I’m thinking is, “I’m really not sure this worth so much money, but I’m totally being sucked-in with the brand’s hype.” It’s nice to splurge sometimes, but for most of us it’s even better to look fabulous without breaking the bank. Here are some of my favorite drugstore finds.

All of the Revlon lipgloss and lipstick collections have the color payoff, and their formulas are even better than some of the high-end brands for a fraction of the price. Examples: Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss in Pango Peach (245) , and Revlon Colorburst lipgloss in Bellini (pale peach nude almost like NARS Turskish Delight) or in Peach Petal (Pale nude Pink). (042). Also don’t miss the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup.

Pantene Advanced Keratin Repair shampoo and conditioner – honestly, this entire line is AMAZE. I try all these fancy, high-end products, and I always go back to Pantene. What can I say, they’re classic. I particularly love the shampoo because it has the perfect balance of cleansing and purifying my hair while simultaneiously keeping in the moisture. Most shampoos are too heavy and creamy and don’t properly clean my hair, or else they’re too stripping.

Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer SPF 15 does all I need to keep my skin hydrated and prepared for makeup, plus the SPF helps keep my skin protected from those UVA & UVB rays. I really can’t see the difference between Simple and using very expensive lotions.

Physician’s Formula Eye Booster™ 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum – this liquid eyeliner is so precise and easy to apply. It’s buildable, so don’t be afraid if at first your eyeliner doesn’t look as bold as you’d like; just apply a second layer. What a great find. Also great and long lasting is Wet N Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner. For around $3 (Walmart) you just can’t beat it.

What are your favorite Drugstore Finds?

This post was created in connection with my appointment as an ambassador in the Simple® Skincare Program. Visit www.facebook.com/SimpleSkincare to share your story on sensitive skin. For more tips and deals from Simple, join the Simple VIP community.

Colder weather often means less outdoor fitness activities, which isn’t good news for your body OR your skin. There is a key link between skincare and fitness – pretty amazing stuff, ha.

Trainer-to-the stars and Simple Skincare Simple Advisory Board Fitness Expert, Kacy Duke is among the world’s most sought-after personal trainers and fitness consultants and is also one of the co-founders of Equinox Fitness Clubs.

According to Kacy: “There is an important link between your physical wellbeing and the health of your skin. As we exercise, the body releases endorphins — natural painkillers — that promote an increased sense of wellbeing. Exercise increases blood flow and helps flush cellular debris out of our system. It also tones muscles and reduces stress, all of which contributes to the overall appearance of your skin. Don’t worry, you don’t have to turn into an athlete, but thinking about our physical wellbeing can have a big impact on our skin.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCHThe Fit and Fashionable 40-Something Routine!, a routine you can easily do indoors as the weather cools down.

What’s your favorite winter fitness routine?

This post was created in connection with my appointment as an ambassador in the Simple® Skincare Program. Visit www.facebook.com/SimpleSkincare to share your story on sensitive skin. For more tips and deals from Simple, join the Simple VIP community.

When I’m trying to decide what makeup or beauty products to buy, one of the most important things I’m looking for is how long-wearing the product is. For many products, within seconds of application they rub off on my hands, clothes, and sometimes even on other people. I don’t like to look “washed-out,” so with some trial and error I work to find the perfect makeup for me!

Best Foundation

Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup in 320 Warm Golden and Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream SPF 25 in BB7. I’ve tried many foundations, but these just stay put all day and both have a matte dry finish and non-greasy shiny finish. If you’re looking for a BB Cream don’t look anywhere else, this BB Cream by Jane Iredale is by far the best on the market. Most other BB Creams I’ve tried are too greasy and watery and they feel like a moisturizer as oppose to a foundation. The Jane Iredale one has the perfect balance of both.

Best Lipstick and Lipgloss

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Light It Up (light coral shade) and Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Hot Shot (light bubble gum Pink shade). The lip-gloss by itself has great staying power, but when paired it with the lipstick – oh boy, you get nonstop color! These smells and feel cinnamon mint and very soothing. They are not greasy like so many lipsticks and lipgloss. These imo the best lipstick and lipgloss on the market today!

Best Eye Makeup

Bare Minerals Ready Eye Shadow in The Top Shelf (these are very clean eye shadows that have the perfect amount of shimmer without looking messy and glittery) and Anastasia Beverly Hills Covet Waterproof Eye Liner in Noir (black shade – this one just does not smudge for hours!).

Best Face Powder

Best Nail Polish

Essie First Base – a base coat that prolongs the staying power of any Essie nail polish – and then Essie Good To Go Top Coat, which provides a nice glossy finish to nail color, making it last longer.

Best Hair Shampoo and Conditioner

Pantene advanced keratin repair shampoo and Conditioner make my hair super smooth and frizz free that lasts for days. I also love Pantene Touchable Volume Hairspray that I spray after styling (please spray lightly and on ends), it smells amazing a keeps my hair style in place, it’s not sticky at all. And before I use a flat iron I spay Style Sexy Hair 450 Protect which smells so nice and protects my hair from heat while keeping my hair silky soft.

And of course, to remove all that great stuff without risking skin irritation, I use my old time favorites: Simple Skincare Cleansing Facial Wipes and Simple Make-Up Remover Pads.

This post was created in connection with my appointment as an ambassador in the Simple® Skincare Program. Visit www.facebook.com/SimpleSkincare to share your story on sensitive skin. For more tips and deals from Simple, join the Simple VIP community.

If I don’t have my eye makeup done I just don’t feel ready for the world, ha. I’m sure you can relate. I have a few must-have eye makeup products, and at the end of the day I must remove it all because my eyes tend to be sensitive to mascara. So these are my eye makeup essentials.

MAC Pigment in Naked is a highly-concentrated loose color powder. You can wear this day or night… it shimmers, it’s long lasting, it’s glamorous.

Anastasia Beverly Hills long wearing black eye liner. I’ve tested a lot of eyeliner brands by drawing a line on the top of my hand and smudging them with my other hand. This one was the ONLY one that didn’t erase! The proof is in the pudding, ha.

MAC Extended Play Lash (in black of course), a lightweight curling, lifting Mascara in a glossy shade of Endless Black. This is my favorite because it really separates, lengthens and thickens without making a mess or clumping!

Simple Eye Makeup Remover Pads are what I use at the end of the day to gently remove all that eye makeup fun. These wipes by Simple are the perfect gentle cleansers with added vitamins to effectively remove makeup, even waterproof mascara. The pads don’t sting or irritate my delicate eyes and sensitive skin.

What are your favorite eye makeup essentials?

This post was created in connection with my appointment as an ambassador in the Simple® Skincare Program. Visit www.facebook.com/SimpleSkincare to share your story on sensitive skin. For more tips and deals from Simple, join the Simple VIP community.

Simple Skincare is officially on Pinterest and to celebrate, they want to give YOU a chance to WIN a gift bag filled with your favorite Simple products, plus a $50 American Express gift card! Starting September 9th through September 27th, visit Pinterest and follow Simple Skincare.

My outdoor fitness routine includes lots of walking and hiking in Paradise Valley, Arizona, where I live. It is by far the best exercise for me and most enjoy exercising. What’s not to like? Fresh air, beautiful homes to look at as I walk – not to mention it’s uphill, so I’m really getting a good work out. I try to hike at 8:00 in the morning just before my workday, this way my phone is still quiet and my head is clear. I do about one mile. The best feeling is after I’m done… I won’t lie, I feel skinny and healthy right away and very ready for the day.

Hiking in Paradise Valley beats any gym. I’m just not that gym person, I get bored at the gym. Many times I would sign up at a gym and never go. I’m truly lucky that I live in such a beautiful place like Paradise Valley. With 300 days of sun and beautiful weather, outdoor fitness is just a no brainer. Of course when I’m back home I go straight to the shower and use Simple Skincare to cleanse my skin and moisturize it before makeup and work clothes.

Paradise Valley Arizona

I like to use the following products from Simple: Foaming Cleanser, Protecting Light Moisturizer with SPF 15, Radiant Cleansing Wipes and Eye Make-UP Remover Pads. With their gentle and effectively skincare, you can’t go wrong… these are the best!

Beauty starts from the inside. It begins with your attitude all the way to what you eat. Here are some skin-loving recipes for a healthy skin by the Simple Advisory Board. Nutritionist Ellie Krieger. Ellie is a New York Times bestselling author and host of the Cooking Channel’s hit show “Healthy Appetite.”

“This doesn’t mean you have to go on some crazy diet – rather that by focusing on the healthiest choices, you can have great skin and eat deliciously. You may not know that eating different foods can help target specific skin issues. For example, if you have dry skin, try eating more nuts and seeds, oil-rich fish like salmon, avocado and healthy oils like olive oil. When you eat the right food, you will see results and improve your skin. It’s about making small steps, and doing it deliciously!”

When I go to the beach I like to keep it simple, yet I don’t like to look too much like a “schlump.” To look good even while on the beach I like to use the following products: Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer with UV protection of course under my makeup. This cream is light and straightforward, perfume free, and hydrating. I don’t forget my under eye area, and for that a must-have is the Simple Soothing Eye Balm.

I don’t really change my skincare routine much in the summer. All I tend to do is up the SPF. So, for example, I switch from using the Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturizer as my daily moisturizer to using the Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer with SPF 15. It’s so hot and sunny here in Scottsdale, AZ, so I need that extra protection. These moisturizers come in super handy when I’m traveling – mostly to California and the beach – which I tend to do a lot of during the summer. I like how it’s fragrance free, easy and pleasant to use.

Simple Skincare recently developed Simple Sense, a tool that looks at your skincare regimen, diet, exercise, lifestyle and stress levels to determine a skincare routine that’s right for you. With the help of the Simple Advisory Board (or, the SAB) – a nutritionist, psychiatrist, fitness expert, makeup artist and dermatologist who all want to help you create a skin-loving lifestyle – you get a personalized skincare report to help revamp your skincare regiment and lifestyle.

Have you ever wanted to give your skin a makeover but weren’t sure where to start? Well, you can cut down your search by simply answering few questions, and the SAB will produce a quick summary of what products to use and what easy steps you can take to help you get that skin you want.

Disclainer: Talkingmakeup.com receives many free products from beauty brands and PR companies. On occasion we also receive other gifts. Gifts and free products do not influence the content of our posts. Sometimes talkingmakeup.com will be given financial incentive to make posts, such posts will always be clearly marked as a 'Sponsored Post'